Senator Tillery of Hawaii: supporter of responsible and necessary abortions through parental consent for teens 16 years of age and younger; thereby allowing for a decrease in abortion rates. Why is the issue of parental consent/abortion important to Senator Tillery?"I grew up in Hawaii as a child, though I was born in New Orleans, LA. My mother gave birth to me when she was 19 years old while my father chose to depart from her life soon after hearing about the pregnancy. My mother, being young, alone, and confused, eventually made the wise decision on her own to have me, though she had considered giving me up. If her parents had been around, she assures me that she would have gone to them for advice on whether or not to follow through with the pregnancy. Fortunately for me, she made the wise though unadvised decision to have me on her own; however, I have become fully aware through my work as a Senator that not all women are as brave as my mother, not all young girls are capable of deciding something so complex on their own. Most importantly, no young woman should have to decide something so complex alone." Time to Pass the Bill: L2C2"Leaving the Lone Decision Behind: Compulsory Consent"By: Senator Tillery, from "Times" magazine ad (above)"Though I am pro-choice, this does not mean I believe abortions should be occurring often. I support a woman’s right to choose and I trust that women 17 years of age and older are responsible enough to make such a serious decision on their own; however, I feel that girls of 16 years of age and younger should be required to receive consent from a parent or guardian before receiving an abortion. Knowing that a guardian will have to approve of their decision to receive an abortion will encourage minors to consider their decision more carefully and to take sex and pregnancy more seriously. This law would lead to a decrease in abortion rates for girls of 16 years of age and younger by forcing them to take sex and its consequences more seriously. The reason this law should apply to girls of 16 years of age and younger is easily justifiable---by the time you are 17, you can legally purchase contraception on your own. So, if the Supreme Court trusts and allows 17 year olds to purchase contraception on their own, we should all trust and allow 17 year olds to make the right decision on their own, though telling a parent or guardian should be encouraged. I believe that through forcing parental consent among young girls, abortions will be done more responsibly and only when necessary." -Senator Tillery
By: Senator Tillery, from "Times" magazine ad (above)
The Senate 1st Session
S.
A Bill to promote more responsible teenage decisions; thereby decreasing teenage abortion rates IN THE MCGEHEE CONGRESS April, 2009
Sponsored by Senator Way of Minnesota & Senator Tillery of Hawaii
Co-Sponsored by Senator Ortkiese of New York
A Bill
To promote more responsible teenage decisions; thereby decreasing teenage abortion rates
Be it enacted by the Members of the McG Congress of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.Leaving the Lone Decision Behind: Compulsory Consent, also known as L2C2
This Act may be cited as the "L2C2" SECTION 2. FINDINGS
General advantages that come with this bill:
Mandatory parental consent will decrease abortion rates and encourage more responsible, advised decisions
Mandatory parental consent for all states will stop pregnant teenage girls of the current parental consent states from leaving their state and going to another state (one that does not require parental consent) in order to receive an abortion
Minors will not be left alone to decide whether or not they should receive an abortion
Consent will promote relationships between teenage girls and their guardians
Females 17 years of age and older are trusted to make responsible decisions on their own, though parental notification is encouraged
Specific information:
oOf all the teenage pregnancies in 2004, 27.4 became legal abortions
oBy 2006, 40/1000 15-19 year old girls were impregnated
oIn 2005, 16% of abortions were performed on 15-19 year old teenagers
oOf the 50 states:
o20 require consent only before receiving an abortion
o14 require parental notification before receiving an abortion
o8 do not require any parental involvement
o8 have a court order blocking policy that is not in effect
oIn 2005: Abortions that were given to women of ages 15-45 (read the following bullet points)
oStates that do NOT require parental consent: Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine (stats from 2005)
oOregon ·11,500 abortions per year ·251 abortions per every 1000 live births ·10% are done out of state
oWashington ·24,600 abortions per year ·302 abortions per every 1000 live births ·5% are done out of state
oNew York (most abortions in the country)
o125,000 abortions per year
o507 abortions per every 1000 live births
oConnecticut
o12,100 abortions per year
o290 abortions per every 1000 live births
o3% done out of state
oStates that require notification: Kansas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware (stats from 2005)
oFlorida
o92,500 abortions per year
o409 per every 1000 live births
oKansas/Colorado
o11,000 abortions per years
o169-262 abortions per 1000 live births
oKansas – 47% out of state
oStates that require consent: Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, North Dakota, and Wyoming
oArizona
o10,700 abortions per year
o111 per every 1000 live births
oArkansas
o4,700 abortions per year
o120 per every 1000 live births
oMissouri
o8,000 abortions per year
o101 per every 1000 live births
oMississippi
o3,000 abortions per year
o72 per every 1000 live births
oNorth Dakota
o1,200 abortion per year
o147 per every 1000 live births
oWyoming
o12 abortions per year!
oGeneralizations from the above stats:
oAbortion rates tend to be lower in the states that require parental consent or notification
oAbortion rates tend to be higher in the states that require no parental consent SECTION 3: PURPOSE A Bill created to decrease the rate of teenage abortions across the nation and to promote more responsible and informed teenage decisions SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY: N/A SECTION 4. TERMS AND BENEFITS OF SERVICE
(1) All females 16 years of age and younger are required to receive parental consent before receiving an abortion, and the parent and/or legal guardian has to be present while the child is receving the abortion(2) Parents include biological birth mothers and/or fathers and legal guardians (3) Consent from at least one parental figure is mandatory (4) Parental consent or denial may be surpassed by the decision of a judge or professional doctor (5) A doctor that performs an abortion on a female 16 year old or younger without notifying the parent when notification was a possibility will receive the consequence of a year in jail and a suspended license upon his/her release (6) When parental consent is unavailable or the pregnancy teen is viable to death or serious illness, the doctor may perform an abortion without parental consent or notification based on his/her own findings
Senator Tillery of Hawaii: supporter of responsible and necessary abortions through parental consent for teens 16 years of age and younger; thereby allowing for a decrease in abortion rates.
Why is the issue of parental consent/abortion important to Senator Tillery? "I grew up in Hawaii as a child, though I was born in New Orleans, LA. My mother gave birth to me when she was 19 years old while my father chose to depart from her life soon after hearing about the pregnancy. My mother, being young, alone, and confused, eventually made the wise decision on her own to have me, though she had considered giving me up. If her parents had been around, she assures me that she would have gone to them for advice on whether or not to follow through with the pregnancy. Fortunately for me, she made the wise though unadvised decision to have me on her own; however, I have become fully aware through my work as a Senator that not all women are as brave as my mother, not all young girls are capable of deciding something so complex on their own. Most importantly, no young woman should have to decide something so complex alone." Time to Pass the Bill: L2C2"Leaving the Lone Decision Behind: Compulsory Consent"
By: Senator Tillery, from "Times" magazine ad (above) "Though I am pro-choice, this does not mean I believe abortions should be occurring often. I support a woman’s right to choose and I trust that women 17 years of age and older are responsible enough to make such a serious decision on their own; however, I feel that girls of 16 years of age and younger should be required to receive consent from a parent or guardian before receiving an abortion. Knowing that a guardian will have to approve of their decision to receive an abortion will encourage minors to consider their decision more carefully and to take sex and pregnancy more seriously. This law would lead to a decrease in abortion rates for girls of 16 years of age and younger by forcing them to take sex and its consequences more seriously. The reason this law should apply to girls of 16 years of age and younger is easily justifiable---by the time you are 17, you can legally purchase contraception on your own. So, if the Supreme Court trusts and allows 17 year olds to purchase contraception on their own, we should all trust and allow 17 year olds to make the right decision on their own, though telling a parent or guardian should be encouraged. I believe that through forcing parental consent among young girls, abortions will be done more responsibly and only when necessary." -Senator Tillery
By: Senator Tillery, from "Times" magazine ad (above)
The Senate
1st Session
S.
A Bill to promote more responsible teenage decisions; thereby decreasing teenage abortion rates
IN THE MCGEHEE CONGRESS
April, 2009
Sponsored by Senator Way of Minnesota & Senator Tillery of Hawaii
Co-Sponsored by Senator Ortkiese of New York
A Bill
To promote more responsible teenage decisions; thereby decreasing teenage abortion rates
Be it enacted by the Members of the McG Congress
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. Leaving the Lone Decision Behind: Compulsory Consent, also known as L2C2
This Act may be cited as the "L2C2"
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
- General advantages that come with this bill:
- Mandatory parental consent will decrease abortion rates and encourage more responsible, advised decisions
- Mandatory parental consent for all states will stop pregnant teenage girls of the current parental consent states from leaving their state and going to another state (one that does not require parental consent) in order to receive an abortion
- Minors will not be left alone to decide whether or not they should receive an abortion
- Consent will promote relationships between teenage girls and their guardians
- Females 17 years of age and older are trusted to make responsible decisions on their own, though parental notification is encouraged
- Specific information:
o Of all the teenage pregnancies in 2004, 27.4 became legal abortionso By 2006, 40/1000 15-19 year old girls were impregnated
o In 2005, 16% of abortions were performed on 15-19 year old teenagers
o Of the 50 states:
o 20 require consent only before receiving an abortion
o 14 require parental notification before receiving an abortion
o 8 do not require any parental involvement
o 8 have a court order blocking policy that is not in effect
o In 2005: Abortions that were given to women of ages 15-45 (read the following bullet points)
o States that do NOT require parental consent: Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine (stats from 2005)
o Oregon
· 11,500 abortions per year
· 251 abortions per every 1000 live births
· 10% are done out of state
o Washington
· 24,600 abortions per year
· 302 abortions per every 1000 live births
· 5% are done out of state
o New York (most abortions in the country)
o 125,000 abortions per year
o 507 abortions per every 1000 live births
o Connecticut
o 12,100 abortions per year
o 290 abortions per every 1000 live births
o 3% done out of state
o States that require notification: Kansas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware (stats from 2005)
o Florida
o 92,500 abortions per year
o 409 per every 1000 live births
o Kansas/Colorado
o 11,000 abortions per years
o 169-262 abortions per 1000 live births
o Kansas – 47% out of state
o States that require consent: Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, North Dakota, and Wyoming
o Arizona
o 10,700 abortions per year
o 111 per every 1000 live births
o Arkansas
o 4,700 abortions per year
o 120 per every 1000 live births
o Missouri
o 8,000 abortions per year
o 101 per every 1000 live births
o Mississippi
o 3,000 abortions per year
o 72 per every 1000 live births
o North Dakota
o 1,200 abortion per year
o 147 per every 1000 live births
o Wyoming
o 12 abortions per year!
o Generalizations from the above stats:
o Abortion rates tend to be lower in the states that require parental consent or notification
o Abortion rates tend to be higher in the states that require no parental consent
SECTION 3: PURPOSE A Bill created to decrease the rate of teenage abortions across the nation and to promote more responsible and informed teenage decisions
SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY: N/A
SECTION 4. TERMS AND BENEFITS OF SERVICE
(1) All females 16 years of age and younger are required to receive parental consent before receiving an abortion, and the parent and/or legal guardian has to be present while the child is receving the abortion (2) Parents include biological birth mothers and/or fathers and legal guardians (3) Consent from at least one parental figure is mandatory (4) Parental consent or denial may be surpassed by the decision of a judge or professional doctor (5) A doctor that performs an abortion on a female 16 year old or younger without notifying the parent when notification was a possibility will receive the consequence of a year in jail and a suspended license upon his/her release (6) When parental consent is unavailable or the pregnancy teen is viable to death or serious illness, the doctor may perform an abortion without parental consent or notification based on his/her own findings